Dry Spell : Drinking Water Supply restricted

No issue with the water supply in Colombo and Gampaha 

By Yohan Perera  

Water supply is currently restricted in some areas including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kurunegala, as a result of the prolonged dry spell, an official from National Water Supply and Drainage Board said yesterday.  

Its Deputy General Manager,  Anoja Kaluarachchi said water supply for some areas outside Colombo and Gampaha District has been restricted with a toning arrengement as of now by a few hours. “There is no issue with the water supply in Colombo and Gampaha as there is water for two months. The Department of Meteorology had informed us that the dry spell will end by mid October. Therefore there is no issue in these two districts,” she said.  

“We have already begun supplying water through bowsers. There are more than 300 bowsers at the both Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Disaster Management Centre and all these will be utilised if the need arises,” she added.  

“It has been estimated that around 54,000 water schemes , 42 sources have been affected and it is estimated that 58,000 others are also going to be affected soon,” she further said.  
Water supply has been reduced by 9 percent  “There are a few issues associated with the dry spell which includes flow of sea water into the tanks and reservoirs which are close to the sea and the decline of the quality of water. Sea water has flowed into Kelani river from where water is provided to Colombo. We have done our best to minimize effects of these situations,”  Ms. Kaluarachchi assured.  

Meanwhile Minister of Water Management Jeewan Thondaman who also participated in the briefing, requested the general public to use water sparingly. “Prioritize your water usage and don’t use water to wash your vehicles etc.,” he said.   

• Water supply currently restricted in some areas outside Colombo and Gampaha District

Over 180,000 people faced with drinking water scarcity 

• 15 districts affected
• Govt. approves Rs. 4.5 million for  distribution of water 

By Ajith Siriwardana  

The prevailing dry spell continues to affect more and more people and areas where some 183,038 people belonging to 54,979 families in fifteen districts have faced drinking water scarcity, DMC Director General Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Sudantha Ranasinghe said yesterday.  

He told the daily Mirror that steps have been taken to provide drinking water to affected people covering all 25 districts using water bowsers and that the government had approved Rs. 4.5 million for the distribution of water.  

He said 183,038 people in eight provinces and 15 districts have been affected by the drinking water scarcity.  

According to the DMC situational report, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu,Vavuniya, Badulla, Moneragala, Hambantota, Gampaha and Matale districts have been faced with drinking water scarcity.  

According to the DMC, the Northern and Eastern Provinces have been severely affected due to drinking water scarcity where 75,287 people from 23,603 families in the Northern Province and 63,136 people from 18,951 families in the Eastern Province were among those affected.   

The DMC said in its situation report that Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts in the Northern Province and Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts in the Eastern Province have been severely affected.   

Some 14,116 people from 4,039 families in the Ratnapura District in the Sabaragamuwa Province and 10,043 people in Puttalam and Kurunegala districts in the North Western Province have been affected due to drinking water scarcity.